


indebted

by yououui



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24032524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yououui/pseuds/yououui
Summary: While relaxing in Costa del Sol, Aerith decides to repay Cloud for working as her bodyguard.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 11
Kudos: 182





	indebted

**Author's Note:**

> Written based on a prompt requested by Stan! I hope you enjoy it ^^
> 
> No major spoilers other than the group is out of Midgar.

“Cloud! There you are!”

Cloud opened his eyes and looked up to see Aerith walking over to him on bouncing toes. He was leaning against the outside wall of the inn, just enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Aerith stopped in front of him and leaned in close to get a proper look at him.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked.

“Just…” Cloud thought for a moment—it probably did seem odd for him to just be standing outside on his own in this rare opportunity to enjoy a town like Costa del Sol. The rest of the group were lounging on the beach or enjoying the bar or spending their gil in some other form of relaxation, but there wasn’t much Cloud wanted to do. He shrugged his shoulders. “Hanging out.”

Aerith laughed behind her hands and shook her head. “So, you don’t have much to do today? Are you free tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m free,” Cloud said with a nod. He regarded her suspiciously for a moment; her smile had a certain mischievous gleam to it. “...Why?”

“Because! I’m going to take you out on a date tonight!” Aerith clapped her hands together happily and grinned.

Cloud’s mouth fell open in surprise. “H-Huh?”

“Well, I still owe you your payment for being my bodyguard,” Aerith told him with a wink. “And I thought that this seemed like the perfect place to do it! I mean, who knows the next time we’ll get to visit a place like this? So? Do you want to?”

“Um…” Cloud nodded slowly. Honestly, he felt like she wouldn't give him the chance to say no even if he wanted to. “Y-Yeah… Sure...”

“Perfect!” Aerith cried, her grin blinding and her eyes sparkling under the bright sun. “Let’s meet here tonight, at 6:00!”

Cloud nodded, and Aerith turned to skip away happily. “Uh, what should I…?” He began sheepishly. Should he bring something? _Do_ something?

Aerith turned to give him one last look and shook her head. “Just bring your lovely self, that’s all you need to worry about!” She told him before disappearing inside the inn.

Cloud watched her go, then leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the ground with fervor. A date with Aerith, here in Costa del Sol? His mind began racing and he suddenly felt nervous as he tried to come up with something for the two of them to do. Or… Did she have everything planned already? But, he shouldn’t leave everything up to her… right? He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand.

“Man… That was rough to watch,” A gruff voice said.

Cloud jumped in surprise and lifted his eyes. “Barret,” He said to the man standing nearby, watching him with a frown. Cloud cleared his throat and awkwardly looked away. “...Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“ _Sure_ ya don’t,” Barret said sarcastically as he stepped closer to Cloud. “No business of mine if you wanna play dumb, but you should at least go start getting ready for her.”

“Uh… What do you mean?” Cloud asked as he looked down at himself.

“You’re not gonna take her out dressed like _that_?” Barret asked in the most judgemental tone Cloud had ever heard from him. And that was saying a lot.

Cloud fixed Barret with an offended glare and scowled. “These are my normal clothes. It’s not like I got anything else.”

“Then go drop some gil,” Barret told him. “I may or may not know for a fact that the little lady already has.”

Cloud blinked and frowned. Aerith bought new clothes? Just to go out with… him? He shook his head. “It’d just be a waste.” He asked. “What’s the point of spending gil just for one night? And it’d add weight to what we already have to carry.”

Barret shrugged one shoulder. “That’s up to you, man. Guess you gotta decide if she’s worth the lost gil just for one quality night.”

Of course she was worth it, Cloud thought to himself. Aerith was worth… _everything._

“Oh, and one more thing,” Barret said as he stepped as close as he could to Cloud to peer down at him. “I like Aerith. She saved my Marlene, and she’s a sweet girl. So it’d be in your best interest to make sure I don’t find out you were a bad date for her.”

Cloud scowled up at Barret. “Noted,” He said dryly.

Barret nodded and clapped his hand heavily on Cloud’s shoulder as he moved to walk away. “Glad to hear it. And… Good luck tonight, merc.”

Cloud watched Barret walk off into the town to do whatever it was Barret did when he wanted to relax. He sighed and looked down at himself, suddenly worried. He couldn’t remember the last time he had worn anything outside of the SOLDIER uniform—well, except for while in Wall Market, but he'd rather not think of that. And he had definitely never been on a date before, not a real one, anyway; what kind of clothes would Aerith expect?

After pacing in front of the clothing shop for five minutes trying to build up the courage to enter, Cloud finally stepped inside and let the woman working decide what would be best for “a night out,” as he simply called it.

“With a pretty girl, I assume?” The woman asked as she looked through her inventory for him.

“Uh… Yeah,” Cloud said slowly.

The woman smiled at him and nodded, and dressed him in a simple look of a black button-down shirt and black pants. She stuck him in front of the mirror and fussed over him for a good ten minutes, tucking and untucking the shirt before she decided that tucked in would be best for him, rolling up the cuffs, messing with the collar. She looked over him once more, then unbuttoned the first two buttons of the shirt to expose the hollow of his throat.

“There we go, perfect!” She said happily. “Simple suits you best. You’re such a handsome boy, after all.”

Cloud’s cheeks flushed and he nodded at her compliment. He dropped the gil in her hand, took a bag containing his other clothes, and hurried out of the shop and back to the inn. He dropped his clothes on the floor of his room and sat on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh to wait until it was time to meet her. As he pulled at the collar of his shirt and fiddled with the cuffs, his anxiety spiked and he worried for a moment that maybe Barret had just been pulling his leg, maybe Aerith didn’t buy new clothes, and he was about to make a fool of himself.

He found out a bit later, after he went back to wait outside in the same spot as before for her, that maybe he should be a bit more trusting of Barret.

“Heya!” Aerith said as she came out of the inn to meet him.

She was wearing a simple and pretty pink sundress, one with thin straps over her slim shoulders and that ended a bit above her knees. She had left her hair up, but released the twist, allowing it to hang in thick waves down the length of her back. And her shoes, they were the same ones she wore in Wall Market—had she stolen those?

Cloud was rendered speechless for a moment as he took in the sight of her. The sun was beginning to set, casting warm, gold light that reflected over her exposed skin and haloed her shoulders in a way that made her look more like a goddess than anything else. It didn’t even matter what she was wearing, it was just… _her._ She was glowing and beautiful.

“Cloud?” Aerith asked, and Cloud blinked and looked at her face. She was smiling, amused.

“Oh, uh… Excuse me,” Cloud said with a nod of apology.

Aerith laughed to herself and stepped up closer to him. “Wow, Cloud! You look so nice! Did you buy new clothes?”

“Yeah, well…” Cloud looked at her and shrugged one shoulder. “It is a date. Right?”

Aerith looked at Cloud with wide eyes and her mouth opened in a small ‘O’ like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing or hearing. She then broke out in a grin and nodded, holding her fists up to her chest. “That’s right, it is! So let’s go!”

She wrapped her arm around Cloud’s and promptly dragged him away from the inn. Cloud stumbled into step next to her. She didn’t release his arm, even as they continued walking through the small town. “So… What do you want to do?” Cloud asked her.

“How about we go to the beach?” Aerith suggested, leaning forward a bit to look up at Cloud’s face. “I bet it’ll be beautiful right now with the sunset.”

Cloud nodded at her. “Lead on, then.”

Happy to oblige, Aerith pulled Cloud by the arm to walk quicker towards the beach. When they reached it, Cloud was happy to see that it wasn’t as crowded as usual. He appreciated the quiet, and didn’t want anyone staring at Aerith.

Cloud shook his head. Staring at _them,_ he meant.

“I knew it would be beautiful!” Aerith said with a happy little sigh as she leaned her head just slightly against Cloud’s shoulder to look out at the horizon, where the sun was setting and casting a red reflection on the surface of the water.

Cloud nodded. “So… Should we mosey along?” He asked, gesturing down the little concrete path.

“Let’s!” Aerith said with a nod. She turned them to the left and together, the two leisurely strolled along the beach. 

They didn’t speak much, but Cloud wasn’t sure if they needed to. Walking along, enjoying the scenery and the sea salt air in her company was a comfort Cloud would never trade. And she was still hanging onto his arm, leaning just so into his side. Cloud wondered if it would be too much to put his arm around her shoulders. Maybe he’d try when she eventually released him.

“Oh, wow, look!” Aerith suddenly cried before running forward with Cloud dragged by her side. She stopped them in front of a food stall, where a man was frying something Cloud didn’t recognize but sure did smell good. “It looks amazing!”

“How much?” Cloud asked the man cooking in front of them. He ignored the way Aerith looked at him in surprise and glee.

“For such a lovely young couple, I’ll give you a special discount!” The man said with a grin. “Only 5 gil!”

“Uh… W-We’re not—” Cloud began, but Aerith cut him off.

“Thank you!” She chirped.

Cloud dug in his pocket for the gil and dropped it into the man’s hand without another word. He fried up a portion for the two of them, then added some extra on top. “Can’t resist such a cute couple!” He said as he stuck a fork into the food and handed it over to Aerith.

“That was nice of him!” Aerith said as they continued their walk down the beach. She took a bite and her eyes lit up. “Mmm! This is really tasty! Here Cloud, open up!”

Cloud turned his head to look down at her and was faced with a bite of food waiting for him. After a moment of hesitation, he did as she said and opened his mouth to let her feed him, closed his lips around the fork and chewed on his bite. She was looking at him expectantly, so Cloud nodded.

“It’s good,” He said.

“Really, _really_ good!” Aerith agreed as she took another bite.

The two continued walking slowly down the path while Aerith fed the both of them until the food was gone. Aerith dumped the empty container in a trashcan, and was then stopped by a woman standing at a cart calling out to them.

“Hey, young lovers! Want something cold and sweet to beat the heat?” The woman asked. “I have the best shaved ice in town!”

Aerith looked up at Cloud and tilted her head. “What do you think, Cloud?”

Cloud shrugged and walked over to the woman. “Sounds like it tastes good.”

“That’s the spirit!” The woman said as she began making them some.

“I didn’t know you liked sweets, Cloud,” Aerith said with a nudge against his side.

“I mean… I don’t _dislike_ them,” Cloud said while giving her a nonchalant shrug. 

Aerith laughed as Cloud handed over the gil for the dessert. “I want to know all about your favorite sweets! Do you like cake, too? Chocolate cake is my favorite!”

Cloud gave a little laugh and shook his head as he took the cup of shaved ice from the woman. “Sometimes cake is too sweet for me,” He told her. He held up the shaved ice as an example. “I like iced desserts.”

Aerith grinned and held her pointer finger up like she had just had a grand idea. “Then next time, we can get cake and ice cream!”

Cloud blinked and looked down at the shaved ice. “...Next time?” He murmured to himself.

“Oh, Cloud! Over here!” Aerith said, having not heard him. She tugged his arm towards the beach and stepped out into the sand. 

She stumbled forward as she tried to walk in her heels, and Cloud stuck an arm around her middle to keep her upright. “You okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine! It’s just hard to walk in the sand in these,” Aerith said sheepishly. “One second!” She finally released Cloud’s arm to kneel down and unclasp her shoes. She stepped out of each one and then stood up straight, her shoes dangling from her fingers. “All better!”

“If you say so,” Cloud said quietly.

“It’s worth it, trust me!” Aerith said. She grabbed Cloud’s empty hand and pulled him across the beach.

Cloud realized shortly after where Aerith was dragging him to; an empty wooden dock jutted out from the sand and over the ocean water. They walked up the steps and all the way to the end of the dock, and Aerith sat down at the edge so her feet dipped into the water. Cloud sat next to her, one knee pulled up to his chest, the other leg folded under him.

“What a perfect view,” Aerith said as she leaned back on her hands.

She was right; the sun was just about to set, and the last rays of it were painting the sky various shades of orange, red, and purple. The line of light reflecting on the water was almost blinding, shimmering like crystals. Cloud looked from the view to Aerith; the light was glittering in her eyes just like the water, and her cheeks were flushed from being out in the heat.

Cloud handed her the shaved ice. “Here,” He said. “Before it melts.”

Aerith shook her head and shoved the cup back towards him. “You have some first! Since I know how much you like it.”

Cloud sighed and picked up the spoon. “Will you ever let me live it down?”

“Hmm… Probably not,” Aerith said teasingly.

Cloud took a bite of the ice and then looked over at Aerith. She had fed him the food, right? So would that make it okay if he… “Here,” He said as he scooped up another spoonful and held it out towards her.

“Oh, what a gentleman!” Aerith opened her mouth with a small _ahh!_ and Cloud tried to keep his hand from shaking as he fed her the ice. Aerith gave a happy little hum as she swallowed, obviously pleased with the taste.

They passed the ice back and forth until it was finished. At one point, Aerith laughed and wiped at the corner of Cloud’s lips with her thumb, where he had gotten a drop of the red syrup. When it was done, Cloud fiddled with the empty cup in his hand.

“It’s so beautiful here,” Aerith said. The sun was dipping behind the horizon, and the sky was now a pretty shade of purple with little pinpricks of stars that were just starting to become visible.

“Yeah…” Cloud said with a nod. He looked over at Aerith. Her lips were tinged pink from the syrup in a way that made them look even sweeter than usual. Cloud shook his head to chase the thought away and then said, “So… How do you feel about the sky now?”

Aerith hummed in thought and tilted her head back to look up at the sky. Her hair dragged along the dock, so Cloud carefully brushed his hands under it to move it over her shoulder instead. Aerith smiled at him in thanks. “Honestly, it’s still really scary to me,” She admitted. “It’s just so… endless. There’s so much we don’t know, things that could come and cause us even more pain. 

“But then, we come somewhere like here, and it’s just so… Beautiful. And even though I’m terrified, I can’t look away.” She looked from the sky to Cloud and smiled sheepishly. “Weird, right?”

Cloud shook his head. “No, I understand,” He told her.

A beat passed, and then Aerith scooted over a bit, so she was pressed against Cloud’s side. She swung her feet back and forth over the surface of the water. “What do you think of when you look at the sky, Cloud?” She asked.

“Uh…” Cloud looked up at the sky and tried hard not to think about the line of heat where her body touched his. “I think of… home.”

The stars were becoming more and more visible as the sky got darker. “Nibelheim?” Aerith asked quietly.

Cloud nodded. “It’s not exactly the same. It was up near the mountains, so no ocean view. And the stars there were way brighter, but... “

“It gives you the same feeling?” Aerith finished.

Cloud looked at her and nodded. “Yeah… kind of. But it’s… nice. Reminds me of the good things.”

“Well, I think after tonight,” Aerith said to him. “Looking at the sky will remind me of good memories, too.”

“...Why do you say that?” Cloud asked her.

She regarded him for a long moment, then giggled behind her hand and shook her head. “Oh, Cloud,” She said as she looked back up at the stars that were now brightly shining over them. “It’s because of this moment, right here. With you.”

The tips of Cloud’s ears began burning. He looked away from her and up at the sky, as well. “O-Oh… That’s…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “Um. Same here.”

“Hmm?” Aerith questioned with a nudge against his side.

“This’ll be a good moment I’ll remember too,” He elaborated, his voice quiet. “Whenever I look at the sky.”

Aerith smiled and ducked her head down a bit, hiding her eyes behind her hair. “Good,” She said quietly. “That makes me even happier.”

Cloud smiled to himself, unable to stop it, and nodded silently. They sat like that for a while longer, until the noises of other visitors at the beach began to dwindle as everyone returned home for the evening. Then, without warning, Aerith leaned in closer and rested her head on Cloud’s shoulder as she continued enjoying the starry view.

Cloud took a deep breath and released it slowly. He tried hard not to move or shift at all so that she wouldn’t become uncomfortable. Strands of her hair tickled his cheek and neck, and she smelled like a mixture of the sea and her typical flowery scent. She was warm, tucked up against him, and Cloud wanted desperately to rest his cheek on the top of her head and stay like that until the sun came up. His fingers twitched with the urge to wrap his arm around her, but he was still nervous it was not the right move to make, so he instead stayed still and let her relax against him.

“Shall we head back?” Aerith asked after sitting another ten minutes like that.

 _No,_ Cloud’s thoughts answered immediately. Knowing that the night must end eventually though, Cloud said, “Yeah, sure.”

Aerith lifted her head to allow Cloud to stand, and he held a hand out to her to pull her up. She stood and stretched her hands over her head in a way that oddly reminded Cloud of a cat, then turned to begin walking off the dock.

“Wait,” Cloud said. Aerith stopped and looked back at him; she was still barefoot, carrying her shoes in her hands, but her feet were wet. “You’ll get sand all over your feet.”

“Oh, right,” Aerith said as she looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes. She smiled at Cloud and shrugged. “Well, that’s what I get for getting them all wet!”

Cloud frowned, then took a few steps to get in front of her and knelt down. “Here,” He said over his shoulder. “I’ll carry you.”

“Huh?” Aerith said from behind him. “Cloud, really! It’s okay, I can—”

“It’s fine,” He told her. “I don’t mind. Just… Carry this.”

He handed the empty shaved ice cup back to her, then looked up at her, waiting. “Okay…” Aerith said apprehensively, and even under the stars, Cloud could see she was blushing. “But if I get too heavy, put me down!”

She hesitantly climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Please,” Cloud said as he hooked his arms under her legs. “Forget who you’re talking to?”

He stood up quickly and she squealed in surprise in a way that made Cloud smile. He walked off the dock with her clung to his back and across the abandoned sandy beach. “This is…” Aerith murmured into Cloud’s ear.

“Want me to carry you a different way?” Cloud asked.

“Cloud!” Aerith whined, and Cloud chuckled to himself. “So petty, even now.”

“Guess so,” Cloud said as he hiked her up further on his back. Her skirt pulled up just a bit, and Cloud’s hands grasped onto the back of her knees, which promptly shut him up.

She sighed, hung her arms loosely around his neck and rested her chin on his forehead. “I think this will be another good moment to remember, too.”

“Yeah?” Cloud asked quietly.

Aerith nodded against his shoulder. “Yep.”

Cloud swallowed and pressed his lips into a hard line to suppress the small smile growing. Soon enough, he reached the path next to the beach and carried Aerith to a bench to set her down. He turned once she was sat down and reached to take her shoes, but she held them out of reach.

“I can at least put my shoes on myself!” She said with a teasing wink that had Cloud’s face get hot.

“Uh, right,” Cloud said with a nod as he stood up.

“So knightly,” Aerith said as she bent over to strap her shoes back on. Once she finished, she stood up, tossed the empty cup, then punched the air above her head in triumph. “Okay! Let’s go!”

“Heh,” Cloud smiled and shook his head. He held his arm out for Aerith to take, and she did so happily.

The walk home was mostly quiet, just the sounds of their footsteps accompanied by the nearby ocean waves. Cloud opened his mouth to say something a few times, but stopped himself short. He felt nervous, worried that he'd say something lame or embarrassing that would ruin the perfect, comfortably quiet moment. He decided it would be better if he just didn’t speak.

They returned to the town and back to the inn, and Cloud walked Aerith up to the door of the room she was sleeping in. Aerith released Cloud’s arm to stand in front of him so they could properly face each other and leaned in so close, Cloud automatically leaned back.

“So, did you have fun?” Aerith asked with a cheeky smile.

“Y-Yeah,” Cloud said with a nod as he looked down into her green eyes.

Aerith leaned back and lifted her palms to the ceiling in a question. “Then my debt is repaid?”

It took only a brief second for Cloud to think that he didn’t want the debt to be repaid. He wanted to have more excuses and opportunities to spend time alone with her. So, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Nope.”

Aerith’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “What?” She clasped her hands together in front of her and took a small step closer to Cloud. “You mean you want _more?_ ”

Cloud shrugged. “I told you it would cost you a lot. I’m not cheap, y’know,” He told her. “Besides, I ended up working as your bodyguard way longer than the original agreement.”

Aerith looked at Cloud with those big eyes of hers for so long, Cloud worried that maybe he had overstepped. Then, she ducked her head and covered her mouth with her hand as she began giggling. Her laughter grew, and she lifted her head to give Cloud a beaming smile.

“Okay then! I’m a woman of my word, so I’ll make sure you’re repaid everything you’re owed!” She told him. “Next chance we get, I’ll pay back the rest of my debt!”

She held her pinky finger out towards him and Cloud looked down at it, confused. “Uh…”

Aerith laughed and took Cloud’s hand in hers, maneuvered his fingers so their pinkies were locked. “It’s the sign of a promise,” She told him as he continued to stare down at their hands. She pressed their thumbs together. “Now you know I won’t go back on my word.”

“I… Wasn’t worried that you would,” Cloud admitted to her.

“Good!” Aerith said as she dropped their hands. “Thanks for tonight, Cloud. I had a really good time with you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Cloud said. “Uh, had a good time with you too, I mean.”

Aerith giggled again and nodded. Then, she stepped up close, stood up a bit straighter, and kissed Cloud softly on his cheek. Cloud gave a small gasp of surprise and pulled back to look at her with wide eyes, but she just smiled up at him with an innocent smile.

“Good night, Cloud,” She said as she stepped back. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”

Cloud nodded dumbly, and Aerith stepped into her room with a little wave of her fingers. His mind working slower than usual, Cloud lifted his hand in an awkward wave only as she closed the door behind her. Cloud blinked and touched the cheek she had kissed, turned slowly to return to his own room.

Cloud lied down on his bed without bothering to change and stared up at the ceiling with his hand still against his cheek. As he laid there all night, unable to sleep as he replayed the time spent with her again and again in his mind, he hoped that the next chance to go out with Aerith would come quickly and wondered if she hoped the same.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! come scream about how much you love them with me
> 
> [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/yououuii)  
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